Cops pose as Andy Lau fans to bust scalpers at Cantopop star’s concert

It was a good old fashion Hong Kong police “gotcha.”

Plain-clothes cops posing as fans of Andy Lau arrested 11 people from mainland China scalping tickets outside the Cantopop legend’s concert in Hung Hom on Sunday, the latest effort to crackdown on touts cashing in on popular events in Hong Kong.

According to Ming Pao, the suspects — six men and five women, aged between 26 and 53 — tried to sell passes to officers at up to six times their original cost of HK$950 (US$121).

The group — who each held a two-way permit, allowing them to travel to the city — were suspected of scalping and breaching their conditions of stay, reported the SCMP.

Authorities have ramped up efforts to clampdown on scalping in recent months following several instances of sought-after shows being quickly sold-out only for tickets to quickly emerge online at inflated prices.

In a recent submission to the Legislative Council, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) advanced several measures to target touts, including legislative amendments.

Andy Lau’s world tour, which kicked off on the weekend at the Hong Kong Coliseum, has been a particularly hot ticket for touts.

Passes sold out in minutes after first being offered. Further problems came in August when over-the-counter sales were suspended after a man camping out for passes was stabbed by a group of men.